Huawei's Ascend P7 is about to receive a successor, which the tech firm has chronologically named Ascend P8. Similar to the Ascend P7, the Ascend P8 is expected to sport a 5-inch display and the same form factor as its predecessor. It is also likely to retain the same 6 mm thickness as the current model. No doubt, the Ascend P8 will boast impressive hardware specifications that will zip past the benchmarking scores garnered by the P7. But apart from that, Huawei has been experimenting with its devices in order to make them stand out. 

Instead of cutting corners and incorporating a plastic exterior to its handsets, the Chinese phone maker has reportedly been digging into other materials, including zirconia ceramics. According to information posted by Chinese website MyDrivers, the upcoming Ascend P8 will be sporting a premium design that will comprise of a portion of the aforementioned material. In order to reinforce the screen, Huawei will assimilate Gorilla Glass 3 on the display as well as the back panel of the device. 

Coming to the hardware details that will determine the overall performance of the smartphone, Huawei will reportedly place its own Kirin 930 octa-core chipset manufactured on the 16 nm HiFET process. Keeping in mind that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 is processed on 20 nm process, the Kirin 930 chipset will no doubt be able to perform better and provide better energy efficiency since it has a smaller lithographic process. 

It is possible that the Ascend P8 will have a full HD display, but Huawei could turn things around by placing a quad HD display. The P8 is also expected to be a feature-riched handset, with a fingerprint scanner that will allow new levels of security in to the smartphone.

Huawei's upcoming offering is expected to be showcased at a press conference that will be held in the United Kingdom in April.